Give me a 'W', give me a 'A'....(no this isn't going where you think it is!)

Guardian report of Wal-mart's shareholders meeting, which brought together Bon Jovi, Will Smith and 20,000 shareholders and staff to the 'Bud Walton' arena in Arkansas. Reni Liefenstahl eat your heart out, this is how corporate America does bombast!

Thought the 2 saddest parts of the article where the description of 200 ASDA employees who were clapped into the stadium wrapped in 'union' flags (stars and stripes not GMB!)... And 'Don Tuxhorn, from Mishawaka, Indiana, who said he had had a "blast" all week. "The enthusiasm is unbridled. I work for the best company in the world without a doubt. Some people don't like us because we win. '

No Don, the reason people don't like you is because Wal-Mart are virulently anti-union, damaging for local communities and exploit suppliers in the developing world.

I used to work in ASDA many years ago when the then wannabe Conservative MP Archie Norman was boss - and was pocketing millions in share options,while insisting that everyone in ASDA called each other 'colleague' (although obviously some colleagues were more equal than others!).

Even before Wal-Mart took over the company there were clear efforts to marginalise the union (example - Why join a union when you can join the ASDA Law club? All your legal worries taken care off, just please don't try and use this service for employment related matters....).

You can find out more about Wal-Mart here.